Waste receptacle and dumping mechanism therefor

ABSTRACT

Dumping mechanism comprising a normally vertical face plate mounted on a pick-up vehicle for upward rotation and having an upper saddle for engaging a downwardly directed recess in a portable waste receptacle, to invert the receptacle as the face plate rotates, and a lower hook which automatically moves into engagement with a cross bar on the receptacle as the face plate rotates to hold the receptacle in inverted position.

United States Patent [191 Brown et al.

WASTE RECEPTACLE AND DUMPING MECHANISM THEREFOR Inventors: Thomas E. Brown, Statesville;

Richard M. Brotherton, Mooresville; Howard J. Shive, Statesville, all of NC.

Rubbermaid Industrial Products Corporation, Statesville, NC.

Filed: Mar. 9, 1973 Appl. No.: 339,636

Assignee:

UQS- Cl 214/302, 214/1 Q, 214/14, 214/7 G Int. Cl B65f 3/02 Field of Search 214/1 QA, 302, 1 Q, 303,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1962 Nolan 214/302 Apr. 16, 1974 3,136,436 6/1964 Erlinder et al 214/302 3,747,785 7/1973 Dahlin ..214/302 Primary Examiner-Robert J. Spar Assistant Examiner-Lawrence J. Oresky Attorney, Agent, or FirmHamilton, Renner & Kenner 7 8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures WASTE RECEPTACLE AND DUMPING MECHANISM THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the-present invention to provide a novel combination of an improved portable waste container and improved cooperative dumping means mounted on a pick-up vehicle.

More specifically, it is an object to provide an improved portable waste container having on one side a lower cross bar and an upper downwardly directed recess, and dumping mechanism including a rotatable face plate having an upper saddle adapted to engage in the recess and a lower movable hook for automatically engaging the cross bar as the face plate is rotated to tilt the receptacle.

A further object is to provide an improved portable waste container having on one side an elongated recess, said recess having an upper overhanging wall and a lower cross bar therein for engagement by'lifting and dumping mechanism.

These and other objects are accomplished by the improvements comprising the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. Various modifications and changes in details of construction are comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the improved receptacle in position to be lifted by the improved lifting mechanism, the receptacle being shown in phantom lines in partly tilted position.

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the receptacle further tilted to dumping position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial plan sectional view on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view on line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view on line 55 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view on line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the lifting mechanism and receptacle in partly tilted position.

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the improved receptacle.

DESCRIPTION OF'A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved waste receptacle is indicated generally at 10, has a bottom wall 11, rear wall 12, front wall 13 and side walls 14. Wheels 15 are journaled in recesses 16 in the side walls rollably supporting the receptacle.

The upper portion 18 of the receptacle is preferably enlarged and has an inclined rear wall 19.

At its upper edge the rear wall 19 has a transverse handle 20 formed thereon, the wall being cut out below the handle as indicated at 21. A cover 22 for the receptacle has notches 23 in its side walls adapted to snap over the handle 20 for hinging the cover thereon. The front wall 13 of the receptacle has an elongated and preferably tapered recess 25 therein extending from the bottom upwardly into portion 18. At the top of the recess an overhanging wall 26 is formed over the recess (FIG. 6) and the wall 26 provides the equivalent of a transverse bar by which the receptacle may be lifted in a manner to be described. Spaced below the wall 26, substantially midway between wall 26 and the bottom of the recess 25, is a transverse bar 27 within and spanning the recess for a purpose to be described.

Referring to the improved receptacle dumping mechanism, part of a waste collection vehicle or pick-up truck on which the mechanism may be mounted is shown generally at 29 in the drawings and comprises a lower horizontal bar 30 which may rest on the vehicle running board 31 and an upper horizontal bar 32. Mounted edgewise on the bars 30 and 32, as by welding, are two spaced-apart vertical plates 33 which extend above bar 32 and have horizontal bracket plates 34 connected to their upper ends. Spaced laterally outward of the plates 33 are two vertical bars 35 welded at their lower ends to horizontal bars 32 extending laterally from the top of bar 32.

The upper edges of bars 35 and the upper bracket plates 34 are welded to a horizontal sleeve 36 on which the upper leg 37 of an L-shaped frame having a vertical face plate 38 is hinged or rotatably mounted. The face plate frame has triangular side wings 40 connected to upper leg 37, and a hinge shaft 41 journalled in sleeve 36 extends through the wings 40 and reinforcing plates 42 thereon at the rear outer edges of upper leg 37 and pivotally supports the face plate frame.

A rotary motor or activator 43 of known construction is mounted between the upper ends of vertical plates 33 by bolts 44, the opposite ends of the activator shaft 45 extending through notches 46 in the plates. The outer ends of the shaft 45 have secured thereon the upper ends of downwardly extending lever arms 47 having their lower end portions connected by a cross channel 48 and outwardly projecting cam rollers 50 journaled on their ends. The cam rollers 50 are rollably engaged in channel tracks 51 mounted on the inner surface of the vertical face plate 38. An upwardly facing hook-shaped saddle 52 is secured as by welding on the exterior of face plate 38 near its upper edge and supported by an angle 53 secured to the face plate.

The saddle 52 is adapted in the normal lowered position of the face plate to engage under the overhanging wall 26 within the recess 25 of a portable waste receptacle 10 which has been wheeled up to the face plate and tilted rearwardly a slight amount, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 6.

Hence, rotation of the lever arms 47 by the activator 44 will roll the cam rollers 50 in trackes 51 and raise and tilt the receptacle 10 upwardly through the position of FIG. 7 to the position of FIG. 2.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the lower central portion of the face plate 38 has an outwardly and downwardly facing hook 55 projecting therefrom through a vertical slot 56 in the plate. The hook 55 preferably has a downwardly extending arm 57 and an upper substantially arcuate arm 58 extending through the slot 56. The arm 57 is mounted on a pin 59 journaled at its ends in bearing brackets 60 fixed on the face plate 38. The lower end of arm 57 and the inner end of arm 58 are secured to a supplemental cam track 61 located inside the face plate 38. The cam track 61 has a lower angular end portion 62 which, in the normal upright position of the face plate shown in FIG. 6, extends downwardly from the inner end of hook arm 55 behind a front stop wall 62' extending downwardly from bearings 60. The upper portion of track 61 extends angularlyinward from end portion 62.

The cross channel 48 connecting the lower ends of lower arms 47 has at its central portion a bracket 63 in which a supplemental cam roller 64 is journaled; and the roller 64 is adapted to rollably engage the supplemental track 60 when the arms 47 are rotated by the activator 43.

When the saddle 52 is engaged under the overhanging wall 26 of a portable waste receptacle in the position of FIGS. 1 and 6, the hook 55 extends part way into the recess 25 of the receptacle and is spaced a short distance above the cross bar 27 therein. Now, as the lever arms are rotated (counter-clockwise as viewed in FIG. 6) to lift and tilt the receptacle, the cam roller 64 engages the cam track and when the roller reaches the straight upper portion 61 of the track, the track is forced against the inner surface of the face plate 38 and the hook 55 is automatically pivoted outwardly thereof into locking engagement behind the cross bar 27, as shown in FIG. 7.

As the lever arms continue to rotate, the rollers 50 rolling in cam tracks 51 tilt the receptacle 10 to the receptacle dumping position of FIG. 2, where the activator stops the rotation. In this position the supplemental cam roller is near the inner end of supplemental cam track 61 and the hook 55 continues to be securely locked behind cross bar 27, so that the receptacle can not fall off the face plate even though it is bumped or jarred.

When the arms are reversely rotated to return the waste receptacle to its original upright position, as the supplemental roller 64 passes the position of FIG. 7 and engages the lower portion 62 of the supplemental cam track, the hook 55 is pivoted to disengage it from the bar 27 and return it to the position of FIG. 6 with portion 62 engaging the stop wall 62, whereupon the receptacle can easily be slightly tilted to disengage it from the upper saddle 52.

it will be apparent that the improved waste receptacle construction provides an upper downwardly directed recess formed by the overhanging wall and a lower cross bar adapted to be engaged by the improved lifting and dumping mechanism which includes a face plate for abutting the receptacle and having an upper saddle for engaging under the overhanging wall and a said cross bar to hold the receptacle when it is inverted.

We claim:

1. In combination, a portable waste receptacle having a lower cross bar and an upper overhanging wall on the exterior of its front wall, dumping mechanism mounted on a waste collector comprising a rotatable frame pivotecl on said waste collector and having an upper saddle adapted to engage under said overhanging wall to support said receptacle, means to rotate said frame to invert said receptacle, a downwardly directed hook pivotally mounted on said frame, and means on said frame to positively pivot said hook over and behind said cross bar in response to the rotation of the frame to invert said receptacle.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, in which said upper overhanging wall overhangs a recess in said one side wall, and said recess extends downwardly behind said lower cross bar.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1, in which said rotatable frame includes a face plate from which said upper saddle projects and on which said hook is pivoted. v

4. The combination as defined in claim 2, in which said rotatable frame includes a face plate from which said upper saddle projects and on which said hook is pivoted.

5. The combination as defined in claim 3, in which the means to rotate same frame comprises a rotatable arm having a cam follower rollably engaging said face plate, a cam track on said hook, and a second cam follower on said rotatable arm rollably engaging the cam track on said hook.

6. The combination as defined in claim 4, in which the means to rotate said frame comprises a rotatable arm having a cam follower rollably engaging said face plate, a cam track on said hook, and a second cam follower on said rotatable arm rollably engaging the cam track on said hook.

7. Dumping mechanism for lifting and dumping a waste receptacle comprising a rotatable frame adapted to be pivotally mounted on a waste collector, an upper saddle mounted on said frame, a downwardly facing hook pivotally mounted on said frame below said saddle, means to rotate said frame to lift and tilt a waste receptacle supported thereon by engagement with said saddle and hook, and means on said frame to positively pivot said hook downwardly in response to the rotation of the frame to invert the waste receptacle.

8. Dumping mechanism as described in claim 7, in which the means to rotate said frame comprises a rotatable arm having a cam follower rollably engaging said frame, a cam trackon said hook, and a second cam follower on said rotatable arm rollably engaging the cam track on said hook. 

1. In combination, a portable waste receptacle having a lower cross bar and an upper overhanging wall on the exterior of its front wall, dumping mechanism mounted on a waste collector comprising a rotatable frame pivoted on said waste collector and having an upper saddle adapted to engage under said overhanging wall to support said receptacle, means to rotate said frame to invert said receptacle, a downwardly directed hook pivotally mounted on said frame, and means on said frame to positively pivot said hook over and behind said cross bar in response to the rotation of the frame to invert said receptacle.
 2. The combination as defined in claim 1, in which said upper overhanging wall overhangs a recess in said one side wall, and said recess extends downwardly behind said lower cross bar.
 3. The combination as defined in claim 1, in which said rotatable frame includes a face plate from which said upper saddle projects and on which said hook is pivoted.
 4. The combination as defined in claim 2, in which said rotatable frame includes a face plate from which said upper saddle projects and on which said hook is pivoted.
 5. The combination as defined in claim 3, in which the means to rotate same frame comprises a rotatable arm having a cam follower rollably engaging said face plate, a cam track on said hook, and a second cam follower on said rotatable arm rollably engaging the cam track on said hook.
 6. The combination as defined in claim 4, in which the means to rotate said frame comprises a rotatable arm having a cam follower rollably engaging said face plate, a cam track on said hook, and A second cam follower on said rotatable arm rollably engaging the cam track on said hook.
 7. Dumping mechanism for lifting and dumping a waste receptacle comprising a rotatable frame adapted to be pivotally mounted on a waste collector, an upper saddle mounted on said frame, a downwardly facing hook pivotally mounted on said frame below said saddle, means to rotate said frame to lift and tilt a waste receptacle supported thereon by engagement with said saddle and hook, and means on said frame to positively pivot said hook downwardly in response to the rotation of the frame to invert the waste receptacle.
 8. Dumping mechanism as described in claim 7, in which the means to rotate said frame comprises a rotatable arm having a cam follower rollably engaging said frame, a cam track on said hook, and a second cam follower on said rotatable arm rollably engaging the cam track on said hook. 